


Count on Me

by caplanbuckybarnes



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Bars and Pubs, Dancing and Singing, Multi, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 07:44:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17442773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caplanbuckybarnes/pseuds/caplanbuckybarnes
Summary: Sing A Song for your life, little one.





	1. Chapter 1

With your heels clicking against the wooden floorboards of the tavern, you approached the bartender and tapped on the surface to gain his attention. Your patience was wearing thin and you needed a drink in your system to calm yourself before you release your anger on the wrong person. Once the bartender walked over to you, he smiled with a greeting on his lips.

“Save the horse shit.” You cut him off, throwing him an annoyed glare. “Gimme three shots of fire whiskey.”

“Three?” He repeated as he pulled the bottle from the shelf behind him. “Did i stutter, peasant?” You grit your teeth as you checked the time on your watch.

“So, what’s a place like this doing in a girl like you?” he raises a brow, unfazed by your violent tone. “My name’s Bucky.”

“I don’t give a horse’s ass what your name is, kid; I’m not here to make friends right now. Hand me a shot of red whiskey. Will you?”

Shrugging off your tone again, he tended to your shots of whiskey before walking off for a moment to cater to another patron. You impatiently checked the time once again. You glares in the direction of the bartender as you notice him animatedly talking to a female down the bar.

“Excuse me?” You clink the glass on the bar gaining Bucky’s attention once more. Feeling satisfied as the man’s attention was torn away from the woman, you smirked behind the glass as she raised it to her lips.

“Ready for three more, I assume?” He happily refills your glasses before leaning his palms against the bar. “I know you from somewhere.”

Rolling your eyes as you threw back the whiskey, you smacked your lips and leaned your elbows on the table. “In case you’re unaware, kid, I’m the Queen of this city, Y/N.”

Chuckling, he nods. “I thought you looked familiar. So, you gonna answer my previous question?”

“I don’t talk my business to people like you, kid.”

Chuckling as he disappeared to tend to another patron for a moment, he returned with glittering eyes. “So, seriously. It’s not too often a person with your social clad struts through my bar and stays for long. I’d been watching you at that booth for a little while now. You waiting on someone?”

“A colleague of mine.” you answered shortly, running the rim of your glass with your middle finger. Before Bucky could utter another word, the bar door scrambled open and a rush of winter air blasts through the small venue.

“Bucky!” A familial voice hollers out. Before long a pair of feet shuffles over to you  and embraces Bucky with a grin spread widely across his face. “Long time, man. How’s the bar tending life?”

“Grand as usual, Samuel.” Bucky answered back as the pair released one another.

Sam turned around and perked up when he’d noticed you sitting in front of Bucky. “Sorry, boss.”He greeted sheepishly, grabbing your hand and kissing one of the many rings that littered your fingers. “Forgive my manners.”

“You’re forgiven for now, Samuel.” You said.

“What?” Bucky looked between the pair of you. “How does she know your name? Sam,what’s going on?”

“Now’s not the time, Buck.” Sam mumbled as you stood up from your stool and finished the reaming liquid in your glasses before beckoning Sam to follow you “I’ll explain later, okay?” He rushed to your side in a hurry.

As Bucky watched Sam trailing behind you out of the bar, he begun to wonder what in the hell his old friend Sam had done to get involved with such a vile woman like you, the mobster queen of this forsaken city.


	2. Chapter 2

“ _I’ll do anything.” Sam begged, on his hands and knees as you glowered down at him from your position behind the desk. You threw a dark look over your shoulder at Steve as he stood in the corner, prepared to do as you commanded of him. “I have nothing left; my wife and my daughter perished in that fire. Please.”_

“ _Steve?” you beckoned him over to your side. He strolled over immediately. “Take him to the training ground. Will you? I want to see how skillful he is with a variety of weapons. I don’t want to hire a pussy on my side; I’ve already got one. I don’t need another.”_

“ _Does this mean I’m in?” Sam perked up with hopeful eyes._

“ _Trial.” You answered coolly as Steve hooked Sam under the arm and forced him to his feet. “You waste my time, I won’t hesitate to end your entire bloodline. I understand you’re the last remaining family from the Wilson branch?”_

“ _Yes, ma’am.” he swallowed hard, fearing for his life as Steve drug him away from you._

———-

You remained stoic as Sam drove you to the diner. You weren’t expecting anything from the meeting last week. You knew it would fail. The mayor was a chump to be begin with. She’d never allow you to tear down some precious museum, for more territory on your front. But still, you were fuming. So you’d called Sam to drop you off at Steve’s condo across town. You needed to devise some sort of plan to plot out a secret way to demolish that building to build more space for your henchmen to hang out. You were growing tired of the casinos and the bars you’d frequented with your boys.

“Here you go, ma’am.” he announced as he pulled into Steve’s driveway. “Shall I do anything else for you?”

“Actually,” you grinned and noticed Sam cringe. “Yes. There is. Go to Pepper’s estates, will you? Do some digging around for me.”

“For what?” He raised a brow as he turned in his seat to look at you. “Don’t give me that look. I need specifics. I need to know exactly what you want.”

“Check for patterns; find out what time she’s strolling the streets or otherwise, nowhere in the building. I need to gain access to her vaults so I can see what she’s hiding.”

“I doubt someone important like her has any secrets, ma’am.”

“She’s been quiet as of late; I want to know what she’s planning.” you tapped your fingers in thought against your thigh.

“I’ll return in a week with whatever I find.” He nodded as you left the car. You hardly watched as he drove off into the distance before turning around and heading into Steve’s house, calling out his name. He answered from his bedroom upstairs.

“What’s up, boss lady?” He grinned as he finished folding the shirt he was holding before putting it in the drawer in front of him.

“You hungry?” you offered as you placed your hands in your pocket. “I felt like having company for lunch. There’s a little diner a few blocks from my house. I figured we could have a bite to eat.”

“Since when are you in such high spirits?” Steve asked.

“Willie’s going to scope out Pepper’s place.”

“Why? I thought a treaty was signed between you two.”

Scoffing, you heavily rolled your eyes. “She broke it the moment she influenced the mayor to break off the deal we had going on about demolishing that fucking old museum.”

“Women are so petty.” He cracked, causing you to swat at him playfully.

“So, what do you say? Lunch over at that diner?” you offered.

“You wanna drive the Lambo?” he offered, jiggling his keys as he took them from their spot on his dresser.

“You know I’m not going to go easy on that fucker, right?” you smirked playfully as he rolled his eyes.

“That’s my baby, boss.” he chided lightly as he put his shoes on before he went to retrieve his jacket from the closet.

“Of course.” you smirked as you left the room, Steve close behind you as you walked into the garage. You sat behind the wheel and purred the engine once you were seated. Steve took control of the radio and soon enough the pair of you were driving the few blocks down the road to the diner.

You waited for him to stand out of the car as you leaned against the door. You greeted a hostess before she practically scrambled to find you a secluded booth to have some semblance of privacy.

“Tony’s been asking around about you.” Steve revealed after a moment of scanning the menu. “Says he wants another night with you.”

Scoffing, you placed the menu down as a waiter approached your table with a pen and notepad. “Hey, James.” Steve greeted with a smile.

“Steve, what are you doing on this side of town?”  The waiter, “Bucky” greeted.

At the sound of his voice, your head snapped up from the menu and a grimace formed on your mouth. “You’re that nosy bartender from last night.”

Chuckling, Bucky nodded. “And you’re the woman who keeps a close eye on the city, huh? What can I get for the pair of you?”

“Flapjacks and orange juice.” you ordered, handing over the menu. Steve ordered his food and handed his menu over as well in silence. You bore your eyes into the back of Bucky’s head as he pranced away from your table.

“He’s a good kid, boss.” Steve mumbled as he tore at a napkin. “Harmless.”

“What’s his story?” you wondered out loud. “Why do you and Wilson know him and yet, I don’t know a damn thing about the man?”

Shifting in his seat, Steve removed the hat from his head and placed it on his knee. “He’s had a rough childhood. His mother forced him to move away from his father. He claims he was never abused, but I never got the full story out of him. I seen him around school a few times before he vanished again the summer before our senior year.”

Music started playing from the jukebox across the diner; a few customers started humming the tune, or downright bursting in song.

“My ma helped him around if he needed a bed for the night. We learned how to play guitar together. Took lessons when we could afford them. He sings, too. He says he ain’t no good, but he’s certainly swooned the ladies in high school with his vocals.”

“Sounds charming.” you huffed as Bucky appeared from behind the counter carrying two plates on his forearms and two glasses in his hands.

“My apologies for the wait.” he said as he placed your order in front of you.

“Buck, it’s no problem.” Steve smiled before you had the chance to speak. Pulling out his wallet, Steve handed the man a bill. “Keep the change, I’ll see you soon with Sam. Alright?”

Ducking his head, he begins to hum the lyrics to the song as he walks away. Before he has the chance to disappear into the kitchens, you call him over to your table again.

“Is everything okay, ma’am?” he asks, wiping his hands down his apron.

“Everything is fine.” you wave his worry away. “Steve tells me you enjoy singing and playing the guitar?”

Abashed, he babbles on for a few seconds before his face turns a bright shade of red before glaring at Steve. “Punk.”

Smiling, Steve takes a sip of his drink. “Jerk.”

Watching the exchange, you turn back to Bucky. “What time do you get off?”

“Four.” He visibly swallows. “Why?”

“Let me bring you back to my house; I’d really enjoy it if you and Steve gave a performance for me.”

“Boss?” Steve raised a brow. “I couldn’t. We couldn’t. We don’t own guitars any longer.”

“I’ll buy them on the way back to my place.” You answered Steve, never breaking eye contact with Bucky. “No big deal.”

“You’re serious?” Bucky asked. “No jokes, no planning my murder for giving you lip? Nothing?”

“I just want to hear a few songs.” You smiled. ”Steve can come pick you up himself if that makes you more comfortable.” Unable to find his voice, Bucky nodded before walking away once more, this time to another table.

“You have any idea how terrified he is?” Steve quirked a smile. “He’s going to be a mess later on.”

“You’ll calm him down, then, right?” You hiked a brow as you glanced at him. “Do whatever needs to be done to get him to my place.”

“Yeah,” Steve resigned. “Sure. Why not?”

————–

“I don’t know about this Steve.” Bucky shakes his head as he settled in the passenger seat of Steve’s car. “Why haven’t you or Sam told me you worked for the goddamn mafia?”

“I didn’t want you to worry about me.” Steve converses as he starts driving down the road. Music’s playing low on the car radio and Steve starts tapping his fingers on the wheel in rhythm.  Beside him, Bucky starts singing in a low tune.

“Gamora stopped by today.” Bucky revealed.

“Again?” Steve huffed. “What did you tell her?”

“I’m not for sale.” he rubbed his hands on his jeans. “I’m a bartender and a waiter; what more would she want from me?”

“You’re a damn good singer.” Steve pointed out. “Why wouldn’t she chase after you?”

“You told me not to follow her; is it because you work for Y/N? How the fuck didn’t I know any of this? You and Sam? What else are you two hiding from me? Have you always-?”

“That’s dangerous territory, Bucky.” Steve sighed. “I can’t expose my boss like that. She’d blow my fuckin’ head right off my shoulders.”

“How much does she know about me?” He asked slowly. “Steve, tell me.”

“That your a damn good singer and a fine guitar player.” Steve admits. “She knows nothing about Gamora chasing after you. But if it comes down to it, I can persuade Y/N into handling the situation.”

“Gamora doesn’t take kindly to violence.”

Steve hums in acknowledgment as he turns on the road and enters a hidden driveway, otherwise secret to the public. Steve scans an identification card to the monitor and he drives through the garage before parking in a designated spot.

“Steve, is that you?” A woman’s voice echoes from an intercom system.

“Yes, Wanda. Bringing a client with me; inform Y/N to meet me in the piano room.”

A noise of acknowledgment was heard as Steve led Bucky through the house, never stopping to speak to a maid or butler. Bucky’s face grows in surprise at the massiveness of the place. Steve remains quiet until he reached an oak door and immediately walks inside, dragging Bucky by the bicep inside the room.

“So you decided to show up after all.”

“I didn’t have a choice.” Bucky snarled as Steve released his arm.

“Here.” you grab an acoustic guitar from it’s case by your desk and hand it over to Bucky. “Sing, and do well.”  
Hesitantly, Bucky grabs the guitar from your hands and strums the notes before a slight grimace forms on the corner of his mouth. He immediately tunes the strings and begins singing a song that he’d heard from the radio earlier during the car ride. Steve waits patiently as he strolls around the desk and leans into your ear. “He’s a nervous wreck; he usually doesn’t perform for strangers.”

“I like him.” you reply easily, flicking a pen between your fingers. A few seconds later, you hold up your hand and Bucky quiets down, closing his mouth abruptly.

“Steve, take him home for the night; I have to speak with Wanda about rehearsal arrangements.”

He nods and quickly takes the guitar from Bucky and escorts him out of the room.

**~~PART THREE~~ **


End file.
